I am curious as to when the game officially begins in terms of playing? Is it when 1) the round begins 2) when clock is pressed 3) when both players show up 4) when white makes his first move. Thanks. 
The context is important. For example:
From the standpoint of a ratable game, both players must make at least one move.
From the standpoint of time forfeiture, the game starts when black starts whiteās clock.
From the standpoint of no-show forfeiture, the āclockā starts from the scheduled start of the round or when the TD announces that players should start their clocks, depending upon the event.
The question concerns a game at the DC International, which is using FIDE rules rather than USCF rules. As I understand it, a player was allegedly booking up on his opponent after the scheduled start of the round but before he had arrived at the board.
Iāve moved this topic from USCF Issues to Running Chess Tournaments.
Concerns about booking up on oneās opponent were why under the old USCF rules White did not have to move before Black arrived at the board, just start Blackās clock. This is one of those case where technology may have defeated practicality.
Good point.
OK, weird hypothetical. White plays 1.e4. Black plays the illegal 1ā¦d4. Neither player notices, and they each make a few more moves. The illegal move is noticed and the game is reset to the position after 1.e4. The players make no more moves (perhaps black lets his clock run out, perhaps someone resigns, or perhaps they agree to a draw).
Is the game ratable?
I guess this comes down to whether or not the moves made after the illegal move count for purposes of meeting the āat least one moveā requirement. I would say that they are not illegal moves, since there is no penalty for playing them, and so they should count as moves. On the other hand, since they are nullified when the game is reset, I can see an argument being that they should be treated as if they never happened, and so clearly should not count.
The relevant rule comes from Chapter 8 (The USCF Rating System) section 1 (Rated games). The exact text of the sentence in question is: āGames in which one player makes no move are not rated.ā Each player has determined and completed (by pressing the clock) at least one move. My interpretation is that it does not matter that Blackās first move and the following moves are ānullified.ā The game should be rated.
Doesnāt FIDE have a few events with no tolerance? If you show up after the round starts you have already forfeited.
Larry S. Cohen
Thatās the default rule, but the organizer can announce the use of a different rule. CCA uses its own rules for late arrival of players: one hour on the clock if the player who arrives on time has a clock, the full time of the first time time control if the player has no clock, split the time evenly if a clock is added later.
Actually, it is no longer the default rule. As of July 1, 2014, the Laws of Chess do not specify a default default time (sorry for the awkward wording). Instead, article 6.7a now reads āThe rules of a competition shall specify in advance a default time. Any player who arrives at the chessboard after the default time shall lose the game unless the arbiter decides otherwise.ā
Back before the ācomputer GM ageā there was a grandmaster who would always make the same first opening move for white (c4). This GM was late for the game and black did not start his clock. Some joker (I plead the fifth) played 1. e4 for the GM.
When the grandmaster arrived, he scolded, placed the e-pawn on e2, and vigorously played 1. c4. All of this is shared to illustrate the impracticality of preparation based on seeing in advance what an opponent actually played for move 1.
Ideally, I prefer the old rule because it gives the would be preparation artist nothing to go on. Also if white makes move 1, black arrives just before the forfeit time and responds. White after foolishly drinking at the bar for an hour and 1 minute (40/2 time control) after black has moved arrives to a lost (and rated) game. At least with the old rule white would have forfeited on time only.
ā¦unless the arbiter decides otherwise. So then there is no rule at all. Progress (of a sort)!
I gave this scenario to the FIDE Events Committee, the same day it became an issue, and got responses on both sides; it was illegal and it was not illegal with most choosing not illegal. This is a situation which is not clearly covered in the rules and other rules have to be extrapolated onto the scenario to justify a course of action. If one player makes a move and there is no response by an absent opponent, it will be an unrated forfeit. It is hard to tell the difference between an opponent arriving 20 minutes late from traffic and one arriving 20 minutes late from running upstairs to their computer to book up on their opponent, USCF lateness rules being in effect. Players have watched GMs book for opponents for decades, the problem here is that they typically get their pairings in a RR long before the game begins and they can book up for days. The US Swiss is a different creature and should players who have modeled after GM behavior not be allowed to do this? If the player with Black does not know the first move by white, I donāt see the problem. There is a problem if the booking up occurs in the playing venue as defined by FIDE in a FIDE rated or norm event so the player has to go further away (hotel room) to do the initial booking. Of course any such booking done during the game, after this first move, is absolute cheating.
Of course YMMV, as the internet saying goes, in a case where it isnāt absolutely defined in the rules.